Interlocking strip shingles



Nov. 2, 1948. H, ABRAHAM 2,452,708

INTERLOCKING STRI-PSHINGLES Filed 'March 6, 1947 INVENTQR efe 45e/MAM.

ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 2, 194

UNITED STATES P Herbert Abraham, New York, N. Y., assigner to The Rubel-oid Co., New York, N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey Application March 6, 1947, Serial No. 732,798

3 Claims.

This invention relates to interlocking stripshingles, and in particular to improvements in strip-shingles of the type known as square-butt strips.

Roofing elements of that type are of oblong shape, having the lower portion which is exposed to the weather when laid, divided or separated by narrow vertical cut-outs or slots into a plurality of equi-spaced units, of uniform widths. When the strips are laid in overlapping relation with like strips and with the butts aligned in successive courses, said units simulate the appearance of the exposed butts of individual shingles laid in a like manner.

One disadvantage of the conventional squarebutt strip is that when laid its exposed units are free from fastening, and consequently are liable to be raised by the wind, or from other causes, and thus not only give the roof an unsightly appearance but permit entrance of moisture and rain causing leakage.

I am aware that various proposals have been made to overcome that objection. For instance, shingle forms have been devised that embody butt-locking features, however the prior art strips of that kind have not proven commercially practicable either because they were diicult to apply, or did not afford adequate coverage at all points to guard against entrance of moisture or rain, or consumed an uneconomically great amount of area per squaref or gave the roof an undesirable appearance, a-s well as for other reasons. It has also been proposed to use separate metal fasteners to lock down the butts, but use of such fasteners not only is an eXtra expense, but also increases the labor cost of applying the shingles.

Having in mind the limitations of the prior art, it is an object of my invention to provide strip-shingles of the square-butt type that can be easily and quickly applied with the butts securely locked down.

Another object is to provide strip-shingles of that type of such form and construction as to provide sufeient lap at all points in the vicinity of the locks to guard effectively against leakage. The strips of the present invention consume substantially the same area of material per square and have the same amount of overall headlap as do conventional square-butt strips of the same dimension-s.

A still further object is to provide interlocking strip-shingles of the square-butt type that can be applied to a roof with their butts fastened, and which when so laid give the same appearance 2 as a roof covered with conventional square-butt strips.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing-s, in which:

Fig. i is a plan view of the improved stripshingle;

Fig. 2 is a plan view, partly fragmentary, of two courses of strips laid in interlocked relation;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of two strips in position before being interlocked; and

Fig. i is a similar View showing the strips interlocked.

The shingle, in the preferred form shown, consists of a substantially oblong shaped strip i made of bituminized flexible Aroofing material, such as is commonly known as asphalt roofing, and which may be faced on its exposed weather surface with mineral granules or the like. The portion of the strip that is intended to be exposed when laid is divided by vertical, parallelsided slots il into a plurality of rectangular shingle-simulating units i2. These features are common in the conventional type of square-butt strips. The joints between the strips of successive courses are customarily staggered either in halves or thirds with a like staggering of the butts. The strips of my invention are particularly designed to be laid with the joints and butts of successive courses staggered in thirds.

According to the present improvement each unit i2 is formed with a tab I3 approximately midway between the side edges of the butt and extending downwardly from its lower edge. Each tab has one lateral edge ld cut on an oblique line. Since the tabs are complementary in shape to the cut-outs l5 in the upper edge of the strip, the strips may be cut from a web of roof-lng material with a minimum of waste.

Narrow openings I6, which may be slits or slots, are formed through the body of the strip for interlocking engagement with the tabs i3 of like strips. |'lhese openings are disposed in substantially horizontal alignment with the upper end of the vertical slots i i. Each opening is of about the same length as the width of a tab i3 at its neck, that is at the portion where it joins the lower edge of the unit E2, and each opening has one end i? thereof spaced inwardly from the upper end of the adjacent slot Il. The other end of each Yopening it terminates in a downwardly extending slit iii which is preferably curved as shown. The slits i8, together with the openings i5, form flaps lil in the body of the strip that may be easily lifted up somewhat to facilitate the insertion of the tabs into the openings.

The strips are laid on the roof deck in overlapping course and are nailed in the usual manner. After the strips of one course have been laid, the naps IEB of those strips are bent slightly upward and then a strip of the next upper course is moved bodily in a longitudinal direction, as indicated in Fig. 3, so that all of the tabs oi Said upper strip will simultaneously be inserted under the naps Edand into engagement with the open ings I6 of the underlying strip. The longitudinal movement is continued until the tabs of one strip are fully inserted and engaged in the openings i6 of the other, as illustrated in Fig. 4, thus locking the two together with the butts of the upper strip held down. After the strips are so engaged, but before nailing the upper one7 the latter is pulled up tightly to catch thecorners Zil of its tabs in the ends il' of the openings of the underlying strip. Since the material of which the strips are made is flexible, the flaps i9 raised during the application of the strips` willflatten themselves down t-o the plane of the roof.

The openings iand the tabs i3 are so arranged and proportioned relatively to each other that when they strips are applied on the roof in interlocked relation there will be sulicient coverage of material at all points in the vicinity of the locks to guard against passage through the covering of any rain wateror moisture that may drain down the roof or be blown against it by the wind. My improved interlocking strips provide the same amount of headlap above the upper end. of the slots as do the conventional square-butt strips of corresponding dimensions but which do not interlock. In Fig. 2 the headlap of strip A on strip B is indicated by the vertical line C. As the openings I'are in horizontal alignment with the upper end of the. slots il, the same amount of headlap, indicated by the vertical line D, is provided above the openings as` above the slots. Furthermore, the'upper end of each slot of the overlying strip is spaced horizontally from the adjacent righthand cut-out i of the underlying strip, as indicated by the horizontal line E, and the left-hand end of each opening le -is spacedhorizontally from the adjacent left-hand cut-out i5, indicated by the line F, to provide laps thatV are greater than or at least equal tothe headlap C. The construction affords fullfprotection against entrance of moisture at any point, consonant with accepted standard practice.

Roongs formed of strip-shingles are generally applied to sloping roofs. ln a roof formed of my improved strip-shingles, when viewed from the ground, the interlock is hardly noticeable, and the visual effect presented is the same as that of a roof covered with strips of conventional square-butt type laid with the joints of successive courses staggered in thirds.

While I have shown and described a preferred embodiment of the invention, and with reference particularly to strip-shingles of the square-butt type, it is to be understood that modifications thereof may be Amade within the scope oi the claims.

' What I claim is:

l. An interlocking square-butt strip-shingle adapted to be laid in courses with like strips to provide a roof covering in which the butts or the strips of successive courses are staggered in thirds, which strips provide the same headlap and require the same amount of material to cover a given area of roof surface as do squarebutt strips of the non-interlocking type having t i saine over-all dimensions, said shingle cons oi an approximately oblong shaped strip of flexible bituminized roofing material having the portion thereof which is exposed when laid divided by vertical slots intovl aA plurality of rectangular shingle-sirnulating units, each unit having a locking tab along its lower edge, cut-outs in upper edge of the strip complementary in shape to said tabs, a plurality of narrow openings the body of the strip, said openings being arranged in substantially horizontal alignment with the upper end of the slots butspaced therefrom, each of said openings terminating at the other end in a downwardly extending slit to prov .c nap portions that can be raised temporarily out ofI their normal plane to permit of Simultaneous insertion of all of the tabs of a like overlying strip into engagement with the openings` of the underlying strip-by longitudinal'movement of said overlying strip An interlocking square-butt` strip-shingle adapted to be laid in courses with like strips to vide a roofcovering in which the butts of the strips ofv successive coursesA are staggered in thirds, which strips provide the same headlap and require the same amount of material `to coverY given area of roof-surface as do square-butt,

strips of the non-interlocking type having the over-all dimensions, said shingle consisting of an approximately oblong shaped strip of flexible Vbituminized roofing material having Ithe por,- ticn thereof which is exposed when laid .divided by vertical slots into a plurality of rectangular, shingle-simulating units, each unit having a lock;` ing tab along its lower edge, each tab having one.

oblique side edge, cut-outsin the upper edge of the strip complementary in shape to said tabs, a plurality or narrow openings in the body ofthe strip, said openings being arranged in substantially horizontal alignment with the upper end of the, slots but spaced therefrom, each of saidopenings terminating at the other end vin a downwardly extending slit to provide flap portions that can beI raisedteinporarii-y. out of-their normal plane to permit of simultaneous insertion ofy wardly from approximately. the middle.. o itslower edge, and-a plurality of narrow openings .i

in the body of the striprin substantiallylhorizontal alignment with the upper. end ofthe shingle-,simulating units and-spaced fromthe side edges thereof, said openings each terminate ing at one end in a downwardly extendingslit,v to provide lap portions that can be raised ,tern-` porarily out of theirnormal plane topermit-gof,v inserting ,all of the tabs or alike overlyingvstripV into engagement with the openings of the underlying strip by` longitudinal movement of, the,

former.

HERBERT` ABBAinni/r.,Y N o references cited.'`

fp bylongitudinal movement of said overlying 

